Editorial: Take time to get to know candidates

Published: Wednesday, January 22, 2014 at 07:12 PM.

The next presidential election is more than two years away, yet there’s no shortage of speculation about who will be on the ballot for both Democrats and Republicans.

From the looks of things so early in this new mid-term election year, there also will be shortage of candidates for voters to pick from as North Carolina and Gaston County rev up for the primary season.

Turn on the TV any day of the week and you’ll find House Speaker Thom Tillis biting the Achilles heel of incumbent U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan. Will her downfall come down to one word: ObamaCare? Tillis is hoping so and driving home the message early.

Senator wannabes sandwich Gaston County, Tillis and Mark Harris from Mecklenburg County to the east and former Shelby Mayor Ted Alexander to the west.

Add in GOP hopefuls – so far, at least — Heather Grant, Bill Flynn and Greg Brannon and the field is filling up long before the primary season.

Here in Gaston County Rep. Dana Bumgardner has yet to wind up his first term yet Commissioner Mickey Price has announced he wants Bumgardner’s seat in Raleigh.

The next presidential election is more than two years away, yet there’s no shortage of speculation about who will be on the ballot for both Democrats and Republicans.

From the looks of things so early in this new mid-term election year, there also will be shortage of candidates for voters to pick from as North Carolina and Gaston County rev up for the primary season.

Turn on the TV any day of the week and you’ll find House Speaker Thom Tillis biting the Achilles heel of incumbent U.S. Sen. Kay Hagan. Will her downfall come down to one word: ObamaCare? Tillis is hoping so and driving home the message early.

Senator wannabes sandwich Gaston County, Tillis and Mark Harris from Mecklenburg County to the east and former Shelby Mayor Ted Alexander to the west.

Add in GOP hopefuls – so far, at least — Heather Grant, Bill Flynn and Greg Brannon and the field is filling up long before the primary season.

Here in Gaston County Rep. Dana Bumgardner has yet to wind up his first term yet Commissioner Mickey Price has announced he wants Bumgardner’s seat in Raleigh.

Any others to follow? Keep your eyes and ears open.

For voters, there is value in having early announcements and a long season for campaigning.

It provides a greater opportunity for candidates to get their message out and for voters to get to know the candidates well. The more knowledge of the candidates and their positions on issues, the better equipped voters will be to pick the person they believe best matches their own views about the role of government.

The best candidates, we believe, are those who favor a limited role of government in the lives of North Carolina and Gaston County residents. Those candidates who:

Leave personal decisions to individuals.

Do not attempt to manage individuals’ behavior through legislation.

Understand that regulations hinder business growth and deter a strong economy.

Safeguard private property rights.

Believe and demonstrate that government actions and information belong to the people and consistently support transparency.

So settle in for Election 2014 and take time this year to get to know the candidates before making your decision and casting your vote.